A Place Of Ones Own (closed)

[KieranSoares]

A huge ram came barreling with the force of Erygonians, and in the darkness they could make out ladders and the flash of grappling hooks. They were determined to get in and kill this time.

The ram hit the gate harder than its predecessor could've ever hoped to strike, and ladders and hooks came up the walls. Some warriors even resorted to climbing with knives or ice pick-like weapons shoved into the cracks and grooves in the log palisade. But such tactics were expected, and the Lunars were soon dumping boxloads of rocks and shattered glass over the sides of the walls, severing the hook ropes and chains, and doing their best to push the ladders off. The ladders were so heavy, though, that the best they could do was fight off the climbing cannibals.

The ram battered the reinforced gate relentlessly, and David readied the cavalry to charge out when the gate was down and the ram was pulled back.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie reigned in Ferrous, keeping the great war horse from charging uncontrollably. She looked up towards the battlements where her cousins were giving orders to the archers that were readying themselves. The wolves would come after the cavalry, ready to take down the wounded Erygonians. She sucked in a deep breath, steadying herself as she set up a prayer that her family would weather this storm.

"Riders, ready!" She gave out a call, pulling her short sword from her belt and holding it at the ready.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ready!" Calls returned to her from her men.

The Erygonians finally got a foothold when a few made it up one ladder, but that was left to the wall guard when the gates shattered unexpectedly.

"Go Annie!" Ruben roared from where he stood with his wolves and Lunars

 

[heartofcourage]

"Forward!" Annie cried out, kicking Ferrous into action as the gate shattered.

They were lucky that it took time for the enemy to rid themselves of the battering ram that they had used to tear down the wooden gate. She immediately set to work pushing her war horse through the thick of the forms, getting them to scatter and making it easier for the others to bring up behind her. Her sword slid easily into the enemy and she wasn't sure how much damage she was doing but anything was bound to help them.

 

[KieranSoares]

David was at her side through the fray, fighting his hardest and favoring an axe given to him by Boar who had used within his melee fighting days. The Erygonians were not ready for the ferocity of the cavalry and were forced back especially when Lunars came pouring out behind the horses. Howls rose to the sky, and the ages-old enemies of Lunar and Erygonian culture clashed like titans. The humans were forgotten by the Erygonians in favor of killing their Lunar mortal enemies.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Stop their advance!" Annie called out to the cavalry, reigning Ferrous back around to stop the Erygonians from advancing on the Lunars that were fighting with them.

 

[KieranSoares]

As hard as the humans tried, the Lunars and Erygonians were too vicious toward each other to let them get between the lines of werecreatures. When they tried, the Lunars would turn them back or block them, and the Erygonians would try to rip them apart.

"Get the humans back, Annie!" Ruben called, knowing that the humans would meet their end if they tried to intervene. "Have them take up the sides and stop them from surrounding the Lunars!"

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie took the direction from her cousin, turning Ferrous yet again. The great war horse was itching to run and she let him take the lead. She made the rounds, giving the order to keep the enemy from closing them in and to stay far away from the fighting. It was frightening to hear the vicious sounds of the battle and she could only hope that they wouldn't lose too many of their new friends and family in this battle.

 

[KieranSoares]

In the end, the decision to keep the humans away was the right one. The werecreatures could let their animal nature go, and like wild animals, they fought and the strongest and smartest won. Overall, the Lunars were victorious, and the Erygonians began to be beaten back, until more flooded in.

Ruben rallied the Lunars together, and Annie saw something extraordinary. The Lunars whose ranks were half that of the Erygonians all brought up their shields, and somehow repelled the attackers, even throwing them back as if they weighed nothing. Ruben let out a beautiful howl and his Lunars answered him before bolting forward, throwing themselves, shield and spear upon the Erygonians. The dark beasts were cut down like grass under the surge of strength, but before too many could fall, The Erygonians retreated to the walls and the fighting died down as the two sides faced each other.

Ruben stepped forward in full view of the Erygonians with no cover, and he called out to them in their own language. When the Erygonians began to move, the Lunars stood still and kept their human allies back. Slowly but surely, the Erygonians made their way out the ruined gate without a word. The battle was done for the day. It was strange, something that non-Lunars just couldn't understand, but it was a code of honor between enemies, the Lunars and Erygonians.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie watched the scene with confusion, looking over at Ruben as he waited for the enemies to retreat. When the battle was done, she pushed Ferrous towards her cousin, intent on asking him what was happening.

"What is going on, Ruben?" She asked, reigning the antsy horse in as she looked down at her cousin.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Tomorrow is the Spring Festival. I asked the Erygonians to stand back so that either side might celebrate in their own way. We Lunars will not fight during sacred festivals, and nor will Erygonians." Ruben seemed so calm and sure, but the humans were not so confident and remained ready to kill.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What? Ruben, that's crazy." Annie said softly, looking down at him as if he had lost his mind. "We're in the middle of a war. They aren't just going to stop because of a holiday. That would be the perfect time to strike."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They won't. They're fighting for the honor of their God, but they wouldn't dare dishonor him by fighting on a holy day of peace and prayer. Nor would us Lunars dare dishonor our Gods and Goddess." With that, the Lunars gathered their dead and wounded and left the field, led by Ruben and followed soon by Kreston.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie was still confused, but she didn't press the subject further. She watched as Kreston and Ruben pulled their dead from the field and went to begin their rest. She glanced to her side as David appeared on his own horse and she sheathed her short sword.

"It looks as if the battle has been postponed another day." She said softly, looking at her husband with a tired glance.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Postponed...?" David's brows stitched in concern. "Like hell it is. They'll attack us the minute we let our guard down."

"Don't be so certain of people you know nothing about, human," a wolf muttered as he passed carrying a younger warrior who had suffered a deep wound in his thigh. "They may not be chivalrous by your judgement, but they are honorable and loyal to their beliefs. To fight tomorrow is to disrespect everything they hold dear. The Spring Festival is a time of prayer and of celebration for the Lunar New Year and hope for a good harvest in autumn."

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie reached out and placed a hand on David's arm, telling her husband to let it go. They would have to trust that the Lunars were right in their trust that there would be no attack the next day.

"We need to tend to the horses." She murmured, kicking Ferrous into a trot towards the stables where she would tend to their wounds and make sure that they were secure for the evening.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ferrous didn't want to leave. He wanted to go back and fight the Erygonians, so just as Annie got him steered in the right direction, he turned back around and tried to make his way back to the gate.

"Come on, Ferrous," David took his lead, but the horse shook his head and backed away. "Ann... get out of the saddle," David said calmly, knowing they were in for a fight with their prized warhorse whose training wasn't quite finished.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie could sense that Ferrous didn't want to leave. He was itching for more of a fight. David took the lead and told her to get off, but she simply shook her head.

"If he wants to run, I'll run him until he doesn't second guess me." Annie said, taking the lead back from her husband and jerked Ferrous around to face towards the loch.

Before the antsy horse could anticipate what was happening, Annie kicked her heels hard into his sides and they were off like a shot. Ferrous ran his heart out and Annie bent down low over his back, hanging onto him like the horsewoman that she was.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ferrous took off out of shock, but as they went, he kept trying to turn back around. Whenever she jerked him back, he bucked once or twice and tried the opposite way. Finally he stopped in his tracks. It was clear he was fed up with being directed away from his purpose that ran thick in his blood like his father and grandfather before him. He began to turn in circles, and she knew it was a final warning. If she didn't let him go, he would throw her off.

David had followed, keeping close to intervene if needed. He'd done so once before, back when Annie was not yet an expert, and he'd wrestled a horse back into its stall to save her. But Ferrous was twice that horse's size and less than half its patience.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie didn't let go of the horse's lead. He would lead to obey. He had more spirit then any other horse she had ever taken raised, but he needed to learn that his rider was the ultimate decision maker. As he began to turn in circles, she held his lead loosely, readying herself for what was going to come next.

 

[KieranSoares]

The warhorse let out a whinny that began with a snort and ended in almost a growl, and before Annie knew it, he was bucking wildly as he kept turning in circles, making it a violent and dizzying ride. In the blur as they turned, Annie saw David pull up a rope, ready to lasso Ferrous if Annie began to slip.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie tightened her grip in his mane, making sure that if she fell off, she wouldn't make it easy for him. She closed her eyes, lowering herself over his broad back as he spun in dizzy circles and bucked harshly trying to dislodge her. It was a harrowing few moments as the two danced together while David prepared himself to save her.

 

[KieranSoares]

At one moment when Annie began to lean into the spin, Ferrous was clever enough to suddenly spin the opposite way so she lost her balance. When David saw this, he forgot his rope and instead leapt from his horse's back, grabbing Annie just as she began to fall. It was in less than a second that Ferrous had spun round completely, and a flying hoof caught David square in the chest and he was thrown to the ground and Annie landed on him. Ferrous finally halted, panting heavily and looking at them in shock. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone, he only wanted to be allowed to do what his instincts told him to do. But now, even with no one holding him, he stood and stared at them as his chest heaved. David lay motionless in the grass, his uneven breathing a sign that Ferrous had probably broken something.

 

[heartofcourage]

Annie's world tipped upside down as Ferrous managed to unseat her. She had no idea when David had grabbed a hold of her, but they landed on the ground in a tangle, the great warhorse looking at them with a stunned expression as he finally stopped. Her concern was for David as she felt to make sure that he was breathing.

"David? Love, can you hear me?" She asked him softly, knowing that he had broken bones or worse.

 

[KieranSoares]

"He kicked me in the chest..." David half-wheezed out, "not the head, love..." If he could make jokes about nearly being killed by a half-trained warhorse, he wasn't in danger of death at first glance. He opened his eyes slowly and Annie could see his body was in shock just by how slow he was. Even his words had been slow, likely a concussion from hitting the ground so hard.